Clothes catcher for ironing boards



May 26, 1953 K. M. MCCANN CLOTHES CATCHER FOR momma BOARDS Filed July 1, 1950 19 INVENTOR. KATHLEENM- M CA Y/V ATTORNEY Patented May 26, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,639,522 CLOTHES CATCHER FOR. IRONING BOARDS Kathleen M. McCann, Weehawken, N. J.

Application July 1, 1950, Serial No. 171,661

This invention relates to a clothes catcher for ironing boards.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a clothes catcher adapted to be extended beneath an ironing board to catch the clothes as they are being ironed and to prevent them from hanging to the floor and getting dirty.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a clothes catcher for use with ironing boards which can be easily and quickly folded out of the way when the ironing board is not in use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a clothes catcher which extends from both sides of the ironing board so that the clothes can be collected from either side thereof.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a clothes catcher for ironing boards which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to set up and assemble, durable and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of an ironing board and of the clothes catcher embodying the features of the present invention disposed thereunder.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the clothes catcher i1- lustrating the manner in which it is folded when brought into use.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the clothes catcher with the legs at one end pivoted inwardly.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the hinge connection of the legs with the longitudinal pieces.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of an ironing board and of the clothes catcher attached thereto and constructed according to a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the clothes catcher shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line l--'l of Fig. 5.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and i. It! represents an ironing board having rear legs H and a forwardly extending leg structure l2. Beneath this ironing board there is placed a clothes catcher, indicated generally at l3, and embodying the features of the present invention. This clothes catcher H has longitudinally extending frame pieces I l and 15. A cloth flexible member It has hem openings ll and 18 containing respectively the longitudinally extending 3 Claims. (01. 38-111).

pieces l4 and [5. Intermediate the ends of the flexible piece It is an opening l9 through which the forward leg structure 12 extends. To each end of thelongitudinally extending pieces I4 and I5, there is provided a hinge 2|. The connection of the hinge with the end of the piece is effected through a pin 22. The hinge has bifurcated portions 23 and 24 between which the piece extends and through which the pin 22 extends. The lower end of the hinge extends at an angle of ninety degrees from the bifurcated portions 23 and 24 and is rounded, as indicated at 25, to receive round legs 26. These legs are connected by pins 2'1 to the rounded portion 25 of the hinge and in a rigid manner. The legs are pivotally connected together at each end of the clothes catcher, as indicated at 28, soas to permit the legs to be folded together, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2, at times when the clothes catcher top I6 of the clothes catcher'and prevented from contacting the floor on which the ironing board legs are supported. The opening [9 has a narrow portion 3| for receiving a brace rod 32 of the forward leg supporting structure.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, there is shown a modified form of construction wherein the clothes catcher is supported entirely from the ironing board. According to this form of the invention, an ironing board 35 has hinged rear legs 36 with holes 31 therein and a forwardly extending leg structure 38 which is held extended by a brace rod 39.

At the forward end of the board there is pivotally connected a hinge bracket M by a pin 42. This bracket 4| has a stop projection 43 adapted to abut the under side of the board 35 to hold the same in its lowered position. The lower end of the bracket 4| has notches 44 for receiving a roller 45. Projections 46 on the ends of the roller are disposed in the slots 44. On the roller there is a flexible piece of material t! which has a hem 48 carrying hooks 49 and 5B. These hooks can extend respectively through the holes 31 of the respective rear legs 36 whereby to hold the flexible piece or apron beneath the ironing board 35. The flexible piece 41 has an opening I9 therein through which the forward leg structure 38 extends. It is an easy matter to detach the apron 41 from the rear legs and to roll the same upon the roller 45 which may be of the spring roll type and to free the forward leg structure 38 from the opening [9. In a similar manner and likewise as simple, the apron 4'! can be pulled from the roll 45 and disposed under the ironing board 38 by attaching the hooks to the rear legs of the ironing board.

It will be apparent that in both forms of the invention the apron o1 flexible piece is held beneath the top of the ironing board and in a manner to catch the clothes being dropped from either side thereof, the same extending laterally from the forward leg structure the same distance on both sides.

The pin 52 carries a spring 5! which is anchored to bracket 53 through which the pin 42 extends, and is connected to the bracket 4| whereby to effect the return of the bracket to a raised position when the apron is released from the rear legs 36 and to a position illustrated with dot and dash lines at the left end of Fig. 5.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A clothes catcher for ironing boards comprising a bracket adapted to be pivotally connected to the ironing board, a spring roll connected to the bracket and between the side ends thereof, an apron member carried by the spring roll, said apron member having an opening therein adjacent one end thereof through which the forward leg structure of the ironing board may be extended and releasable-means on the other or free end of the apron member for releasably connecting the apron member when extended to the 1 rear legs of an ironing board to retain the same against the action of the spring roll.

2. A clothes catcher as defined in claim 1 and said bracket having a stop projection engageable with the under side of the ironing board to limit the downward pivotal movement of the bracket and to place the spring roll below the ironing board and in position so that the apron member can be extended longitudinally beneath the ironing board for engagement with the rear legs thereof.

3. In combination, an ironing board having foldable rear legs and a foldable forward leg structure, a brace rod adapted to retain the forward leg structure in its lowered position, a bracket pivotally connected to the under side of the ironing board, said bracket having a stop projection to limit the downward pivotal movement of the bracket, said bracket adapted to be pivoted toward the under side of the ironing board and spring means connected between the bracket and the ironing board to urge the bracket in its raised position, a spring roller connected to the free end of the bracket, an apron member carried by the spring roller, said apron member having an opening through which the forward leg structure of the ironing board can extend, releasable hooks on the end of the apron member adapted to engage with the rear legs or the ironing board to releasably hold the apron extended beneath the ironing board.

KATHLEEN M. McCANN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

